News Release: Wednesday, April 25th, 2018
News Release: Wednesday, April 25th, 2018
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HOGWASH 2017 100% Grenache, California, Beckstoffer Hogwash Rosé started when Tuck Beckstoffer was invited to a co-host a charity barbeque. Tuck thought it would be fun to create a wine especially for the event. Tuck had been experimenting with making rosé from a special Grenache vineyard in the Central Coast of California that he thought would be ideal for a rose that paid homage to the rosés from the South of France and yet distinctly California in style. The reception to the wine at the event was so positive that he started making small quantities of the wine for distribution. Hogwash Rosé is salmon-pink in color with fresh and lively aromas of rose, raspberry and orange zest. Flavors of lemon, mandarin, honey & just ripened peach. |
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Poderi Elia 2014 Barbera D'Asti
Poderi Elia has the highest altitude vineyard site in the world famous Barbaresco Wine Appellation. This affords the grapes maximum temperature variation, promoting longer growing season and more complexity in the wines. Third generation winemaker Federico Stella is a master craftsman who enjoys allowing his old vines to speak telling the story of the land with each sip. This Barbera d'Asti is fresh and bright, with aromas of ripe pomegranate, |
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Out of the Box Macaroni and Cheese Pairing Made exclusively from New York apples, Wolffer Rose Cider brings delicate floral notes with a blend of several apples including Jonagold, Mutsu, Golden Delicious, Gold Rush, Idared, and Northern Spy. To further the distinctive offering, This cider speaks to that perfect color palate, too, glowing with a shiny rose color. |
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LOVO 2016, Cabernet Sauvignon from Italy! $13.99 (Macaroni and Cheese Approved) This Cabernet Sauvignon cuts straight across the grain of the highly concentrated, heavily-oaked versions. Unoaked, it is remarkably bright and clean, with a zesty-ness perfect for food. Made in the Veneto by Winemaker Salvatore Lovo, and his daughter Silvia, the two grow classic varietals of North-Central Italia, but also love to experiment. Vineyards planted in clay and volcanic rock. 13.5 alc. |
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Masera GAVI 2016, $11.99 (Macaroni and Cheese Approved) Clean and crisp, this 100% Cortese is from a single vineyard in Gavi. Exceptional value. Winemaker is known for limiting his yields to ensure wine is not overproduced or diluted. These low yields and careful winemaking give this Gavi its intensity.
Made from 100% Cortese grapes, this delicious white is both soft and crisp. With a pleasant stony backbone, this wine features notes of green apple, pear and a lovely, enlivening finish of white flower and white pepper. |
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Made in Loire from a unique blend of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Gamay and Negrette, this is a very delicate and quite dry Loire Rose. Briny and flinty flavors. Lean, refreshing this is a go to for super warm days.
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Transition to Spring The wine is velvety, elegant with a clear fruity character. |
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Tasca Tenuta Regaleali At Tenuta Regaleali, in western Sicily, Grillo has been cultivated for years. Pale straw yellow in color, Tasca Grillo offers a broad range of bright fruit aromas from crisp citrus to white peach, tangy apricots, and exotic tropical fruit like pineapple. An elegant backbone of minerality carries the wine across the palate and leads into a balanced finish. And it's Bagna Cauda Approved! |
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Everyday Wine
DMZ Syrah, Stellenbosch, South Africa DMZ is DeMorgenzon’s value label, where the objective is to produce classic, elegant, well-balanced wines which over-deliver in terms of quality for price. Deep, purple core. Rich, berry fruit nose with lots of ripe, red plum and whiffs of white pepper. Some floral notes in the background, including violets, lavender and spring blossoms. Full in the mouth, with tremendous youthful vigor. Layers of berry fruit with developing spices of pepper, cinnamon, clove and vanilla. Gentle oak integration shows and supports the elegance and roundness of the wine. |
Wolffer Hard Cider is summer, party and event perfect.
Taste it on May 5th at the season's opener of The Great Rose Tasting
@MetroWines
What Wolffer says: Our elegant premium sparkling dry cider is a reflection of soft summer hues of sunsets across the Hampton beaches. This unique hard cider is sourced from only the best New York State Apples and represents the bohemian spirit that resides in everyone.
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It's IN. But this one is limited every year. Stock up! More About Txakolina from Eric Asimov NYT here: https://www.nytimes.com/2010/ |
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ASHEVILLE WINE FOCUS GROUP (RED) WINNER: APRIL
Copertino Negroamaro 2008! Brick red and dense, Copertino has seductive aromatics of blackberry, spice, cigar leaf and smoked meats. It is medium-bodied and surprisingly complex, displaying well-integrated layers of leather, wild berries, cedar, tar, vanilla and soft spices. The long finish lingers with dried cherry and port-like nuances.
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Piccolo Red from Peju, Napa Valley |
RESERVATIONS HERE!
News Release: Thursday, April 5th, 2018
News Release: Wednesday, April 4th, 2018
We are a group of cooks, farmers, waiters, cheese-makers, organizers, ranchers, brewers and dishwashers who share a common philosophy about how we eat and in a larger sense, about life.
We believe in the importance of working locally, not just using ingredients from our surrounding area, but also in our contribution to the community. The success of our restaurant has always been closely entwined with the health and progress of our community. For 35 years we have supported the arts, local-needs and education programs.
Our clients have returned over the decades, we hope in part because we have always tried to treat them as family… and friends. Some might say, our food tastes good, perhaps even memorable. Each day, we do our utmost to prepare and present fresh food in a creative manner with a craftsman’s hand. Working in the most sustainable way possible is important.
The Market Place has been a fixture in downtown Asheville since 1979. Though it’s beginnings rose in the streams and mountains of western North Carolina – a place of mountain trout and small farms – it also has a hand and heart inspired by traditions far from our borders. This mélange of local food prepared with other worldly traditions of the table may have helped the Market Place garner national attention but the keen reverence for the heritage and roots of Appalachia has always remained at the center of what we do.
More About Market Place Farmers: https://marketplace-r
THE MENU!
“farmer to table” wine dinner 5.23.18
1st Course
ember roasted carrots, preserved lemon, farmstead cheese, sumac, crushed almonds
Schug Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Carneros - Sonoma, CA, 2017
2nd Course
Benton's Country Ham wrapped Sunburst Trout, rainbow chard, hakurei turnips, gremolata
DeLoach Family Hook & Ladder Chardonnay, Russian River, CA, 2016
3rd Course
whey cooked Carolina Gold Rice middlins', asparagus, pine nut & mustard green pistou, soft herbs Stoller Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2015
4th Course
roasted Brasstown Beef striploin, black garlic steak sauce, charred spring onion, onion rings
Novelty Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, WA, 2014
5th Course
strawberry trifle, pound cake, strawberries, whipped creme fraiche, lemon balm
executive chef: William Dissen chef du cuisine: Matthew Atkinson in partnership with:
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MUGA Rioja NYT Wine Critic Eric Asimov selected MUGA for his A lemon-yellow color in glass with green glints that reveal its youth. |
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La Due Arbie Chianti Superiore 80% Sangiovese. 20% Merlot. 13.5ALC ! Ruby red in the glass, this Tuscan wine presents ripe red fruits, violets and cherries on the nose and palate. Rounded tannins and an elegant long finish. Fermentation on natural lees in steel vats for two weeks followed by aging in barrels for 12 months and three months in bottle before release.
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Rose is Rolling IN Start planning for "Rose in the Courtyard" |
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A blend of 78% Chardonnay, 19% Sauvignon Blanc and 3% Fiano.
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News Release: Monday, April 2nd, 2018
Subscribe to our Sunday Email or follow our online calendar for news of dinners and wine pairing events.
On Tuesday, April 10th, from 5 to 6:30, Winemaker, Nate Ready, a Master Sommelier, will pour and discuss his well received, limited production wines @MetroWines.
REGISTER HERE!
News Release: Tuesday, March 27th, 2018
Meet the local shop owners and proprietors who have called the region home for generations. Experience sights and sounds off the beaten path — exploring places no other tour does. Taste the food of the region, grown mere steps from the medieval villages you’ll explore. Taste wines from the vineyards you’ll see as you explore the region.
Local farms, olive groves, forests, and orchards provide the quintessential Mediterranean fare you’d expect for a journey through Provence. Explore historic villages, perched atop mountains and cliffs, wandering the cobblestone streets and soaking in the warm French sun.
Rest easy at the end of each day in a warm and inviting bed and breakfast — you’ll enjoy the same location the duration of your trip — where you’ll connect with your travel companions, share stories, and build relationships with people from around the world.
The event is "on the house" but seating is limited. Please reserve your seat by calling (828) 575-9525 or shop online here: https://www.
More about the tour: https://provencedetours.
Contact for MetroWines: Gina Trippi
Charlotte Street! It's the Next BIG Thing!
"Big Shop Selection. Small Shop Service"
Three generations of the Bove family have called the rich farmland of Avezzano, Abruzzo, home. Here, they have nurtured wine grapes that grow plump and favorful nourished by soil from what was the bed of Italy’s largest lake. The lake was drained in the late 19th Century to create new agricultural lands – giving birth to modern day Avezzano.
Rome may have its historic prominence and Venice its pic-turesque canals – Avezzano itself has a history reaching to the Paleolithic period. As its inhabitants developed agricultural prominence in the early 20th Century, a devastating earthquake all but eradicated the city. Staunch residents rebuilt only to be bombed repeatedly during World War II – until liberated by the New Zealand Army in June 1944.
Families rebuilt again – and today Avezzano has come into its own for both its high quality agricultural products and its emergence as a center for tech industry.
The Bove family, who founded their cantine in 1930, epitomize the pride of the Avezzano people and embrace their role as stewards of the land and the surrounding natural resources.
And, as the saying goes, it takes a village. The Bove family works closely with local farmers to resurrect varieties like Pecorino that had nearly disappeared from the region. Likewise, refined cultivation of the fabled Montepulciano grape has resulted in wines that exhibit the region’s true character.
The wines have been forged from hardship but drink with enjoyable and with well-earned maturity. Bove wines express the character of the region’s fruitful terroir and the dedication and passion of the Bove family. A high-tech bottling line shows the family’s eye for the future. Careful sourcing from optimal vineyards and careful grape selection are hallmarks of respect for quality and tradition.
For many travellers, an exploration of Italy often begins in Tuscany. The region is known for its romantic allure, the food and, of course, the wine.
Tuscany, like the rest of Italy, is not easily pigeonholed. Its 8,900 square miles are diverse, from its capital of Florence to the tiniest of mountain villages, Tuscany is a nation within a nation, where the matter of a few miles finds diverse daily meals and much, much different wines.
Almost 7 miles due east of the Mediterranean Ocean and 57 miles southwest of Florence, Rubbia al Colle is nearly in the heart of the vast Maremma region. Here, grapes grow on two tracts. Podere Le Pulledre skirts a fertile valley floor where vines flourish in clay soil with deep sand layers, warm climate and significant diurnal temperature swings. Podere La Rubbia is located on a hillside with a warm and windy climate. Soils are clay and calcareous with stony sediment. The two vineyards are very diferent and exemplify the micro-regions that give Maremma its rich agricultural heritage.
Located on highly traveled tourist paths, this rich farmland tucks up against foothills leading to Campiglia – a beautiful walled city with roots in Medieval times. To the northeast lies the DOCG namesake, Suvereto, another walled city of barely 4,000 people.
The winery of Rubbia al Colle is located in the ancient property Le Pulledre. The Muratori family built the winery in the hearth of a hill, where now the red wines of Rubbia al Colle mature. The winery is predominately underground, made of local materials, in sympathy to the original structure of the estate. Mediterranean maquis grows on the roof of the winery and water, sun and rocks are primary elements of the winery, while clay is its foundation layer.
The wines are released at a time when they can be enjoyed – and will grow more compelling with time. Rubbia al Colle, on the Arcipelago Muratori estate, is dedicated to red wines, especially Sangiovese, and including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot. The wines are a testament to the vineyards’ outstanding growing conditions and the Muratori family commitment to tradition and quality.
Contact for MetroWines: Gina Trippi
It's been quiet in here as of late, hasn't it? For good reason, I promise. The end of February and most of March have been very busy for us at Metro Wines.
One of our favorite winemakers, Michele D'Aprix, was here not very long ago. Michele is the only American woman wine maker in Bordeaux! And she was actually here IN our store! Not Skype, or Facebook Live, but in the very flesh, enchanting us with stories about life in Bordeaux, and how she comes up with names for her wines. We had a significant turnout that evening, and I'm sure many of you had the pleasure of meeting Michele.
We also had a fantastic tasting featuring the wines of Donkey & Goat. Based in California, they take a very holistic, "hands off" approach to wine making: natural, sustainable, and biodynamic practices at the vineyard; in the cellar they don't add or take anything from the wine, and they ever only use minimal effective sulphur. They don't stabilize, fine, or filter their wines at bottling. The result is a world of flavors that you don't usually get from these varietals, with a fantastic texture to boot. And, from what I hear, no donkies, nor goats, are ever harmed in the making of the wine.
I had the pleasure of being invited to the Beth HaTephila Congregation to do a presentation on Kosher wines. This was a great learning opportunity for me. Admittedly, I fell under the umbrella of everyone who believed that all Kosher wines are boiled, and of poor quality, because I was told that long ago, and never questioned it. It was eye-opening, as well as pleasantly surprising to find out that, while some Kosher wines are pasteurized, most are not, and as far as quality goes, there's no difference between a Kosher wine and its conventional counterpart. Chateau Valandraud double magnum, you say? $3,000 at auction. Quality, pedigree, and the history are there to rival the most legendary wines on earth. By the way, that's a picture of the Golan Heights at the top of this post.
We have also been making our Auction winners very happy with their tastings. Among the themes for these tastings are "Fun, but not weird," "Wine for Bourbon drinkers," and "Greek wines you've never heard of, or heard of but haven't tried." Retsina, anyone?
These are but a few of the activities that have kept me away from the keyboard here at Metro. While things don't seem to be slowing down (which is a good thing), I will try to keep the updates more consistently frequent. Until next time.
Cheers!
Chris Curtis of Country Vintner will host the July gathering of The Asheville Wine Focus Group.
The Country Vintner has served North Carolina as an importer and wholesaler of fine wines since 1995. Our portfolio is incredibly diverse and dynamic, featuring classic iconic wineries and exciting new brands from around the world.
We serve restaurants and retailers across the entire state from the coastline of the Outer Banks to the mountains of Asheville. All of our wines are received into our temperature-controlled distribution center on refrigerated containers and are delivered to our customers on refrigerated trucks.
If you shop @MetroWines, you are familiar with Country Vintner Wines including Secateurs, RAATS, DMZ just to name a few!
You must reserve a seat. Please call (828) 575-9525.
News Release: Tuesday, March 20th, 2018
In a bizarre turn of events, the focus group was almost evenly split among the four wines presented by Mike Tiano of Haw River Wine Man. But, I think I saw one more hand for the Colterenzio Pinot Nero. OK, it was my hand but, hey, I count! I love this wine. Brilliant ruby red in the glass, fresh fruity on the nose with aromas of red currants and black cherry. Colterenzio is medium bodied with ripe berry flavors on the palate. Soft tannins and integrated aciidty round out the wine. This Pinot Nero could go 2-4 years in the bottle. Bottom line is that a Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir in France and Blauburgunder (OUCH!) in Germany and Austria) of this quality at this price, $16.99, is hard to find. Find it @MetroWines!
Tellus Vinea 2016, an unoaked Bordeaux imported by Neal Rosenthal, was a close second, a hand away, OK OK, my hand. But I love this one too. This blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc is earthy and fruity with a waft of cherry. The wine is fermented in concrete allowing the true flavors of the grapes to speak without being smothered by oak. That said, this is a versatile Bordeaux.
Vallevo Pecorino sold out last night. The importer tells the story of how he found this wine:
Some years ago I helped a group of Italian winemakers tour Sonoma County wineries. The following year I was at Vinitaly, the huge Italian wine trade fair, and I went to say hello to one of the winemakers at his booth; his name was Gianni Pasquale, and he was the Technical Director for a small co-operative winery in the Abruzzo region, near Chieti. We talked for a bit, and then he asked if I'd like to taste his wines. I must admit I felt slightly embarassed; I knew roughly how little they cost, and I assumed they'd be pretty dire. But it would have been rude to refuse.
They poured the wines, and I started tasting, mentally composing a white lie to explain why I couldn't buy them. Then I realized that they were in fact exactly right- very flavorful, honest, well-made wines at a perfect price. In a sense this is an importer’s highest achievement; it’s pretty easy to find good wine at $50 a bottle, but very difficult at less than $10. This extraordinary bottle is $10.99 @MetroWines.
‘No, this is not the sheep cheese: the variety’s curious name refers to sheepherders who ate the grapes while accompanying their flocks…’ Ian d’Agata
Pecorino is a grape variety that almost died out, and has been coming back into production in the last 20 years or so in the Marche and the Abruzzo. The wine is characterized by fresh acidity and very attractive aromas: ‘…usually delicately herbal (sage, thyme, mint) with balsamic nuances to the crisp apple and pear aromas and flavors…’ (d’Agata again).
The Vallevò Pecorino is fermented dry and aged on the lees in stainless steel tanks, and bottled in the Spring following the vintage. Makes a great dry aperitif and works with a range of foods, from seafood to vegetables.
Also a winner, Ostatu. Not a new wine to the shop but a constant favorite with customers and, as of last night, the Focus Group. The Focus Group liked the acidity and freshness of this wine. It is a"porch sipper" or the perfect partner to seafood. The winery says: The Rioja Blanco 2016 from Bodegas Ostatu is a blend of 85% Viura and 15% Malvasia from the highest parts of their oldest vineyards - the vines are between 30 and 80 years old. Pronounced aromas of nectarine, passion fruit and peach, give way to a fresh, lively palate with vibrant acidity and a spicy finish with hints of ginger and lemongrass.
What We're Talking About @MetroWines...
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Rosso di Rocca 2015 by Daniela, Monica and Paola Roca Read about the Winemakers: http://www. The 2015 Rosso di Rocca, the estate’s Nebbiolo based, Barbera and Cabernet Franc blend, is another fruity, tasty red to drink now and over the next year or two. Sweet red cherry, flowers, mint, orange peel and sweet spices are laced into the supple, racy finish. |
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Red Beans and Rice Approved That's Pistou on the label, the horse that still works the fields! L'Oustalet is just as dependable and, oh yeah, red beans and rice approved. The Perrin Family has been pioneers in organic viticulture in France. Jacques Perrin being engaged in its development as early as 1950. this natural approach to viticulture has one maine goal: to encourage the roots to grow deep. When this happens, they interact with the soil's complex structure and produce grapes with marvelous intensity and balance. L'Oustalet is no exception. A blend of Grenache and Syrah, the wine displays superb aromas of juicy fruit, cherries, spices and smoked meat, with texture and balance.
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You Like Semillon? Don't Forget Graves! Chateau Graville-Lacoste Graves IMPORTED BY KERMIT LYNCH A blend of 75% Semillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Muscadelle. Unfiltered. Stainless Steel. |
News Release: Thursday, March 8th, 2018